Wii U is the Nintendo Wii successor. That doesn't mean the upcoming HD console is going to pick up where Wii pricing leaves off.

"I don't think we can charge the same price as we currently do for the Wii," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told Japan's Nikkei Newspaper. The Wii is currently priced at under ¥20,000 (US$250) in Japan.

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The Nintendo boss added, "I don't think the Wii is going anywhere anytime soon." Like the PS2, the Wii could continue to have legs after new hardware launches.

When the Wii went on sale in 2006, it was priced at ¥25,000 ($313) in Japan and $250 in the U.S.

The Nintendo 3DS launched at ¥25,000, making it doubtful that the high powered Wii U with its tablet controller will launch at ¥25,000.